Betty Butter

Betty Butter bought a bit of better butter
The butter Betty bought was bitter
So Betty bought a bit of better butter

or so the poem goes something like this :) try saying this after a drink ( of milk )

I had a large tub of cream lurking in the freezer, lets use it I thought, apple pie with lashings of double cream, it looked ok but for some reason it was very grainy when defrosted, not one to be defeated as I hate waste I thought I would have a go at making butter, it was so easy,
looks like everyone will be getting homemade bread and butter for Christmas :)
This isn't a very good picture but now I have the bug I am going to try using the paddles and stamping my mark just like they did in the old days

  Does anyone know where I can buy one of these

Bye for now
Cate x

Brooches

My name is Cate and I'm a broochaholic
There I've said it, what started out many years ago when I was a little girl (hording all things shiny) has now turned into a bit of an obsession, well why have one when you can have more.

It seems an age since I blogged properly. Over the summer  I have found a few more bits of treasure, nothing of value except that wonderful feeling you get when you find something in a box or tin of rubbish and you just know you have to rescue it. These little china pin sticks are one of my favourites, my daughter bought me the pink one from a charity shop, it's so nice having a daughter who loves the same things.  

 Thought you might like a nose around at my latest finds, I know I like to see what you all find

The crazy thing is I rarely wear them, I'm always worried I will lose one, some are very fragile with loose pins.
My original plan was to incorporate them into the brooches I make, but it's getting harder to part with any.

I'm not much of a Winter person and am already missing the lighter evenings with that in mind I took a few pics of the last of the summer toms

 and unrelated greenhouse junk I'm glad to say I have since found the little boys spade. I bought this ornament years ago as it reminded me of my son as a toddler :)

Jutst a few Autumny pics before I go

I hope your all well and happy, hopefully I can get back on here now things have calmed down a bit at home, but of course then there is the latest distraction, Pinterest (it should be called Pinterpest ) although I do enjoy going on and have managed to collect a few boards, purely for research of course.
hope to see you all somewhere in cyberspace soon
.Cate x

Roses

I received a very pretty package this morning all the way from Australia. It was from the lovely Pam  at Bayside Rose

 http://baysiderose.blogspot.com/

It is always a pleasure to go on Pams blog she takes some lovely photo's, if you love flowers you won't be dissapointed, and go and have a look in the archive pics of her soap the packaging is so lovely.
This is the giveaway I won

A very neatly stitched cushion cover which I will have to hide from my daughter, she has a thing about red at the moment :)
Thank You Pam it is lovely
I really must have a go at making something as long as it doesen't need a zip I might be ok.


 Can anyone give me advise on which is the better Folksy or Etsy I have almost made enough brooches to  start selling

Hope your all enjoying the heatwave in the U.K. it may just make the Winter seem shorter. I know all of my plants are very confused but that can be for another post
bye for now

Cate x

Autumn Freebie

I'm not too happy once the weather changes, we live on the edge of the water so are at the moment being bombarded with stormy rain and wind, lovely to watch but not when you  have to fight with a tarpaline on our summer house roof, with all the hospital things going on we didn't get around to fixing it

.I saw this ad on google I think it's lovely

I thought a bit of comfort food was called for and all the better when it's for free, blackberries from the hedgerow hazelnuts and apples from the garden and a sqiushy pear from the fruitbowl

cook the fruit with sugar and a touch of vanilla essence

Make a crumble with flour, butter, oats and chopped hazelnuts and sprinkle on the fruit.

Bake untill golden brown

Grab the dish before it's all gone and spoon a big dollop into a bowl with icecream.

Yum

Ahhhh only 7 weeks to half term

Have a good  week
Cate x

Come and have a nose around

We had a trip out yesterday as it was our Wedding Anniversary, sometimes it's nice to just have a wander, we went to a local antiques centre, and for once I had my camera with me, do you see anything you fancy ?

 We arrived rather late so I didn't take many pics outside they have a lot of tin signs etc I will have to go back.

There are floors crammed with furniture.

With something for everyone.

sorry you can't see the prices

Next time I go I will take pics of the outside.

My lovely daughter brought these sunflowers home for us, they are so cheerful and a nice change from the usual flowers florists sell. Thank You :)

Lovely to see the sun is shining, I am trying to catch up on all the things I haven't done in the school holidays as it's back to work next week for me, it's always lovely to see the 4 yr olds arrive on their first day, they look so tiny.

I'm off  to have a cup of tea in the garden before I get to work,  you can join if you like

 Sorry about the bad manners

I hope your all having a good week


Cate x